Every Child is College & Career Ready

Every Child is College & Career Ready

Students Applying Early for Financial Aid

What does this measure?

The proportion of 12th graders in a school district who have filled out federal applications for college financial aid by end of March of their senior year.

Why is this important?

This is an indicator of how aware and educated students and their families are about the process of applying for college aid. Ensuring that students and families understand and use the process is an important part of many community and government initiatives to increase access to college, especially among low-income populations and in communities where some students may be the first in their family to attend college. Applying early can increase the chances of larger awards.

How is our region performing?

In 2016, 28% of seniors in Rochester applied for federal financial aid, up from 25% in 2015. The school with the largest share of seniors submitting applications early was World of Inquiry with 52%, followed by 48% at School Without Walls, 47% at School of the Arts and 46% at Rochester Early College.